Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

(A psalm by Asaph for the music leader. To the tune “Lilies of the Agreement.”)

Help Our Nation

War and Victory

14 The Lord will have his day. And when it comes, everything that was ever taken from Jerusalem will be returned and divided among its people. ² But first, he will bring many nations to attack Jerusalem—homes will be robbed, women raped, and half of the population dragged off, though the others will be allowed to remain.

³ The Lord will attack those nations like a warrior fighting in battle. ⁴ He will take his stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem, and the mountain will split in half, forming a wide valley that runs from east to west. ⁵ Then you people will escape from the Lord's mountain, through this valley, which reaches to Azal.^[a] You will run in all directions, just as everyone did when the earthquake struck^[b] in the time of King Uzziah of Judah. Afterwards, the Lord my God will appear with his holy angels.

⁶ It will be a bright day that won't turn cloudy or cold.^{[c] 7} And the Lord has decided when it will happen—this time of unending day.

^8 (A) In both summer and winter, life-giving streams will flow from Jerusalem, half of them to the Dead Sea in the east and half to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁹ Then there will be only one Lord who rules as King and whose name is worshiped everywhere on earth.

A Life That Pleases God

4 Finally, my dear friends, since you belong to the Lord Jesus, we beg and urge you to live as we taught you. Then you will please God. You are already living that way, but try even harder. ² Remember the instructions we gave you as followers of the Lord Jesus. ³ God wants you to be holy, so don't be immoral in matters of sex. ⁴ Respect and honor your wife.^{[a] 5} Don't be a slave of your desires or live like people who don't know God. ⁶ You must not cheat any of the Lord's followers in matters of sex.^[b] Remember, we warned you that he punishes everyone who does such things. ⁷ God didn't choose you to be filthy, but to be pure. ⁸ So if you don't obey these rules, you are not really disobeying us. Instead, you are disobeying God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

⁹ We don't have to write you about the need to love each other. God has taught you to do this, ¹⁰ and you already have shown your love for all his people in Macedonia. But, my dear friends, we ask you to do even more. ¹¹ Try your best to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work hard, just as we taught you to do. ^12 (A) Then you will be respected by people who are not followers of the Lord, and you won't have to depend on anyone.

The Lord's Coming

¹³ My friends, we want you to understand how it will be for those followers who have already died. Then you won't grieve over them and be like people who don't have any hope. ¹⁴ We believe Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died. ^15 (B)(C) Our Lord Jesus told us that when he comes, we won't go up to meet him ahead of his followers who have already died.

^16 (D) With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. ¹⁷ Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Encourage each other with these words.